


Among the Stars

by princecollywolly



Category: Turn (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Star Wars Setting, American Revolution, F/M, Planet Naboo (Star Wars), Star Wars - Freeform, star wars sequels - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-19
Updated: 2021-03-19
Packaged: 2021-03-28 14:27:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30140931
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/princecollywolly/pseuds/princecollywolly
Summary: Resistance pilot Anna Strong and Major Hewlett spend a lovely evening together on a rooftop bar in Naboo.
Relationships: Edmund Hewlett/Anna Strong





	Among the Stars

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this as a gift for a Tumblr mutual awhile ago. Please forgive my very little knowledge of the Star Wars universe--I did not know much about it at the time. The Force Awakens had just come out, and I was still very into TURN at the time.

_ Anna wiped the sweat off her brow and surveyed the desolate surroundings. Fires were still raging throughout the town, and plumes of blackish smoke arose from some of the dwellings. The finest and the most humble houses had all been reduced to rubble. The heart wrenching screams of the women and the fretful cries of the children rose up in the gloomy twilight.  _

_ All this for a few rebels, she thought. She had even been in prison herself. The first bomb had created a hole in her cell, so she had been able to crawl out mostly unscathed. She’d grown rather close to the prisoner in the cell next to her—a Major Hewlett, Resistance pilot. He’d promised to get her off this planet if she could break him out of prison. And she had…thanks to a well-placed bomb by the Empire. Now she and this Hewlett were running back toward the hangar, where his X-Wing was supposedly stored. She’d taken a moment to survey the desolate surroundings, and it was beginning to make her blood boil.  _

_ The Empire had taken everything away from her—her family, her business, her livelihood—she would never wish that even on her greatest enemy. So, she set up underground refugee camps in the Outer Rim. Wasn’t that where everyone went when they were running from their fate? Unfortunately, they’d been discovered, and she’d been thrown into prison, on some remote moon in god only knows where. She’d even endured torture at the hands of a Darth Graves, who seemed to enjoy his job a little too much. _

_ “Never again,” she whispered. She had almost died, and for what? Some rebellion that was cultivating legends meant for children? She was done. All she wanted was for this Major to take her back to his base, and pray that the Empire wouldn’t find her.  _

\- - - - - - - - - - - - -

“Red Leader to Red 5, do you copy?”

Anna heard Major Hewlett’s voice through her helmet, but she was focusing on the task at hand. There were three tie fighters on her tail, and she was trying to navigate herself through these lush mountain ranges without crashing into the rocks. She was an excellent pilot, but she could feel herself beginning to panic—something she hadn’t felt in a long time. 

“Lieutenant Strong, do you copy?” Major Hewlett’s voice came through again, his tone clipped and curt. But that wasn’t it. She could tell he was worried. 

“Red 5 to Red Leader. I have three on my tail but I can’t shake them,” she explained, trying to keep her voice calm. She could hear an edge of worry creeping into her own voice, and she wondered if Major Hewlett could hear it. 

“Stand by, Red 5. I’m on my way.” 

Anna narrowly dodged a tree at that point, nearly sideswiping a tie fighter who’d suddenly appeared to her right. Thankfully, her R2 unit took care of it quickly. 

“Nicely done, Lieutenant Strong!” Major Hewlett’s voice came through her coms. 

“That wasn’t me, that was my R2 unit,” she answered, barrel-rolling above the tree tops to see if it would confuse the tie fighters. These pesky little aircrafts were not giving up. It didn’t help that they were smaller than her T-65 X-Wing Starfighter, and could maneuver through the tightest spaces. 

Barrel rolling didn’t work, and there was no sign of Major Hewlett for backup anytime soon. This sucked, plain and simple. A unit Resistance pilots, including her, had been sent to this obscure jungle moon Antaeus to take out what camps the Empire had set up. Apparently this moon had natural resources valuable to both sides, so their mission was critical today. And they were winning, but Anna got the feeling that these tie fighters were angry about that, and so making it more difficult for her. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself. Ben had always said that was supposed to help. A simple reminder that you were alive, that you were in control, was supposed to help immensely. And Ben would know. He was a Jedi apprentice now, learning the ways of the Force in some temple in Coruscant. 

The breathing did help, surprisingly. Just when she thought she was alright, Major Hewlett’s voice came in through her coms. 

“Red Leader to Red 5, I’m hit. I have to punch out. You’re on your own; I’m so sorry. I’ll see you back at base.” 

Anna gulped and nodded, even though Hewlett couldn’t see it. She said a silent prayer to whatever deity might be listening, and closed her eyes. She’d often heard that if you blocked out all external forces, closed your eyes, and relaxed your mind, the solution would come to you. 

And it did. 

It was a stupid idea, and even the most skilled of pilots would be afraid to try it, but she had a really good feeling about this one. And she was willing to try anything to get rid of these tie fighters and finally get back to base. She flew her Starfighter higher and higher, almost to maximum altitude, then shut off the engine. Her fate hung in the balance as her aircraft hung in the air for a moment, falling backwards into a loop. She could hear the other pilots through her coms, asking her what the hell she was doing, but she tuned them out. At the bottom of the loop, she fired her lasers, effectively taking out both tie fighters in her maneuver. 

A wave of relief crashed over her body. Cheers from the rest of the pilots resounded through her coms, and she was proud of herself for the first time in a long time. 

Back at base, she was the star of the night. Everyone congratulated her on her risky moves, asked her how she did, what she was feeling, how she’d thought to do such a thing, but she just smiled and replied evenly that she just knew it would work. 

Major Hewlett bought her a drink and personally congratulated her. 

“You’re a fine pilot, Lieutenant Strong,” he said, clinking his glass against hers in a cheer. 

“What can I say? I learned from the best,” she said, winking at him. 

He laughed nervously at her comment. It was he who’d taught her to fly when she’d first joined the Resistance. 

“Aha, well, I merely gave you the tools. You have the gifts.” 

“I wouldn’t have realized those gifts without you, Major.” 

He smiled sheepishly and looked at the floor. 

“I’m sure you would have discovered your gifts someday.” An awkward silence befell the two of them as Hewlett shuffled, looking as if he were working up the courage to speak to her again. “I…there’s a unit going out to Naboo to monitor some things there. They’ve requested auxiliary pilots. I thought you’d be perfect for it.”

Naboo. Anna had never been there, but she’d heard wonderful things about it. And she’d heard other pilots talking about this mission. It was so low stakes that many of them were treating it like a vacation. 

“I’d be honored. Who do I speak to in order to go?” 

“Ah, well, that’d be me. I’m the commanding officer of this operation.” 

“I see. Major, I humbly request permission to accompany your unit as an auxiliary pilot to Naboo.” 

Major Hewlett grinned, his eyes sparkling. 

“Permission granted.” 

That same awkward silence befell them again, save for a few moments where a couple other officers slapped her on the back and congratulated her skills. She smiled weakly, then looked straight at Hewlett again. 

“I should probably go pack my things, shouldn’t I?” she said, jerking her thumb back toward the direction of her small apartment.

“Well, wait, Lieutenant Strong, I wanted to ask you something else,” he said earnestly, gently grasping her hand before she could go. She cocked her head and looked at him curiously. “I…well…would you…there’s a very nice restaurant I know of in Naboo, and I wondered if you might like…would you like to get dinner there with me? I know it’s not an opportune time, being in the midst of war and all but…I’m not really sure when else we’d have time.”

Anna struggled to hide the somersaults that her heart was doing at the moment. She’d always liked Hewlett—she just wasn’t sure if she should ask him out. Going on a date with your commanding officer wasn’t an easy topic to bring up. 

“Yes! Yes, I’d love to,” she said, beaming brightly. 

He smiled, dropping her hand as other officers approached them. 

“Good! I look forward to it.” 

_ \- - - - - - - - - - - - - --  _

Anna couldn’t believe how little time had passed. It was incredible what could happen in the space of a year or two. She hadn’t wanted to help the Resistance at first—she wanted to get as far away from both the Resistance and the Empire as possible—but fate had determined otherwise. Major Hewlett had convinced her to stay at the base, where she worked as an analyst. Eventually, they realized her talents lay elsewhere. Her reflexes and quick thinking ability were far too valuable to be locked up in a basement at a computer. So, a pilot they made her. And she couldn’t complain—they’d given her a nice little apartment all to herself, and she’d managed to make a few friends. 

Well, Major Hewlett was more than a friend. He was…something else. He didn’t look at her like other men did. A few of her female friends said he looked at her like she’d hung all the stars in the galaxy, but she was sure that wasn’t true. Yes, he had a little crush on her (and she him), but she didn’t quite believe that part. She thought it very brave of him to ask her out after that business on Antaeus, and to be quite honest, she was excited for tonight. It was the first date she’d been on in a while. At a swanky lounge-y restaurant in Naboo, no less. 

And Naboo was absolutely gorgeous. The view out of Anna’s hotel room was breathtaking. A vast expanse of blue, backed by lush green trees and gray rock faces was all she could see for miles. At dusk, little golden yellow orbs would dot the trees as people would turn on their house lights. Eventually the birds in the trees right outside the balcony would stop singing, only to be replaced by the sound of the water lapping against the rocks below. 

It was about that time now as Anna donned her evening look—a red, backless cocktail jumpsuit. It was a bold choice, perhaps too bold for the evening, but she felt comfortable in jumpsuits. At least this one was sexier than the orange jumpsuit she wore when flying her X-Wing. Gold heels, minimal gold jewelry, and a classic updo completed the look. Before she left her hotel room, she checked her reflection to make sure everything was in order. The face that looked back at her was much different than what she was used to seeing. As a pilot, she usually didn’t wear makeup, and the long dark locks usually were put in a hasty braid, only to be tucked under her helmet. The made up face with perfectly contoured cheekbones didn’t seem like hers at all, but it wasn’t a bad change. Maybe she could get used to this. She was supposed to be meeting Hewlett in the lobby, where the two of them would walk to a nearby lounge for dinner and drinks. Maybe she could spare a few minutes and be fashionably late.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

It was a rooftop restaurant, overlooking the city. Little golden lights glimmered inside the ivy that crawled up the wooden trellis, casting little shimmers on the rims of everyone’s glasses. Anna was glad she had decided to dress up the way she did—this was a swanky place, far fancier than the dive bars that pilots usually frequented. Then again, Hewlett wasn’t a usual pilot. 

“You look very fine, Captain Strong,” he said in his posh Coruscant accent after they were seated. 

“Thank you, Major. You don’t look bad yourself,” she answered, a little smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. She fancied she saw him blush at her compliment. Perhaps it was the lighting. 

The server handed them their menus, which looked very nice indeed.

“Their wine selection seems good,” she said as she gave it a once over. Both of them looked at the specialty drinks for a few moments before Anna looked at him and suggested just plain old whiskey. 

“I was rather hoping you might say that,” he answered with a laugh. They ordered their drinks and a couple appetizers, finally settling at the pretty table under the trellis. Small talk about the prettiness of the planet and the goings-on at base ensued, followed by an awkward silence.

Anna sipped at her drink and gazed at the scenery below. She felt Hewlett’s eyes on her, but she didn’t mind. They were much more welcome than some of the other pilots she knew. 

“You look happier lately,” Hewlett said out of the blue. 

Anna turned back to look at him, a curious expression on her face. 

“What do you mean?” 

“You look more peaceful. I haven’t seen you this relaxed in quite some time.” 

She shrugged. 

“Maybe it’s the whiskey,” she said, trying to bring a little humor to what she was sure was going to bring on dark thoughts. He sensed what he was bringing on and frowned. 

“Sorry, Cap-“

“Please, you can call me Anna,” she said before gesturing for him to continue. 

“Well, Anna,” he said slowly, as if testing out the syllables, “I’m sorry. I just mean that you always seem angry or stressed at the base.” 

She paused, swirling whiskey around the circular piece of ice in her glass.

“I just want to do what’s right. And sometimes that…that can take its toll,” she said abstractly, sipping her drink again. 

Hewlett nodded in understanding. He hadn’t meant to hit a nerve. 

“I do hope I’m not working you too hard.” He hoped the light, teasing tone would bring somewhat of that spark back into her dark eyes, which had grown a little dull at whatever thoughts were pushed to the back of her mind. His blood boiled every time he heard the name Darth Graves. That bastard had ambushed his unit and killed almost every single one of his men, and he would never forgive him for it. Not to mention the atrocities he’d committed against Captain Strong. He hoped one day that he had a chance to meet him, face to face, so he could kill him once and for all. 

“Hardly. You know I enjoy my work,” she answered, covering his hand with her own. Hewlett looked down at her hand, then back up at her. She was leaning closer, and her eyes looked warmer and brighter all of a sudden. 

“Do you really?” he asked, brushing his thumb over her knuckles.

“Would I be out here, on this rooftop in Naboo, with a fellow pilot if I didn’t?” she asked playfully. 

Their eyes met at moment. His flickered down to her lips and back up to her eyes again, as if asking for permission. She granted it by moving closer, eyelashes fluttering, their lips briefly touching before disaster struck. 

Well, not disaster. Their server had accidentally bumped into their table, knocking over Hewlett’s glass. Anna didn’t know how she did it, but they broke apart quickly, and she caught the glass before it hit the floor, still full of drink. Not a drop had been spilled. Both Hewlett and the server were looking at her in awe. Anna gripped sheepishly as she set the drink on the table. 

“How did you do that?” the server asked, blinking in disbelief. 

Anna shrugged. 

“Good reflexes,” she offered. 

Hewlett was looking at her with a glimmer in his eye. 

“It’s more than good reflexes, Cap-Anna. You know that,” he said when the server left. 

She shook of his comment, but she knew it too.  _ Force sensitive, _ was what Ben had called it. And Ben would know. She’d denied it at first, but Ben was a Jedi apprentice now, which gave his words a lot more credibility. That gift was what made her such a good pilot. She’d been able to dodge laser blasts and maneuver her X-Wing through tight spaces that would have killed a normal person. That little stunt she pulled on Antaeus was proof enough. Hewlett was the only pilot who knew—everyone else chalked it up to her good luck. 

“I still don’t want to broadcast that,” she said, reaching for his hand again. “Should we…try that again?”

“Yes, yes, we ought to,” he answered. They leaned in again, their lips brushing lightly as before. Hewlett was tender and sweet, as if he was afraid of hurting her. Her lips moved against his own with a bit more urgency, showing him it was alright. He would have been perfectly content to sit there and let her tie him into knots, but they were in a public place. Such an action might be obscene. After a few moments, they broke apart. Both their faces had brightened considerably. Anna wore a slight smirk, while a nice blush spread over Hewlett’s cheeks.

“You’re as good a kisser as you are a pilot,” she remarked flirtatiously, somewhat emboldened by the booze and the adrenaline from the kiss. 

“So not as good as you?” he shot back. Anna’s smirk twisted into a full grin. She liked this relaxed Hewlett. 

“You’re a wonderful pilot and you know it,” she said, brushing a thumb across his hand. 

He smiled softly as he watched their hands. 

“I don’t believe for one second that you’d never flown a starfigher before joining us,” he said, taking the subject back to its literal sense. 

Anna shrugged. 

“The skills are transferrable aren’t they?”

Hewlett cocked his head. 

“What did you fly before?” 

“You’re not allowed to laugh.”

“Why would I laugh?” 

“I had a V-35 courier.” 

Hewlett looked at her with raised eyebrows, finding this amusing. 

“See? I told you you’d laugh!” 

He held up his hands in defense. 

“I…do you see me laughing right now?” 

She smirked.

“It was a piece of junk. But, it was helpful, and it meant that I could take myself places instead of relying on parents or friends.” 

She seemed to remember her childhood with fondness, Hewlett thought. “We used to take that speeder, my friends and I, and we’d go down to the creek and drink whatever Caleb had smuggled in.” 

She wondered where he was now. She knew he was smuggling for a living now; that was certain. Funny how things turned out. The four of them-she, Caleb, Abe, and Ben would all gather at the creek and drink whatever questionable liquor Caleb had brought, and they’d talk about what the future held. Too bad the Empire had destroyed all of their little dreams. She wondered how Abe was faring. He was a rebel sympathizer, living in the house of his father—a man who openly sided with the Empire. How the galaxy had been turned upside-down. 

“You’re from…Vakshaa, correct?” 

Anna looked up from her momentary reverie and nodded. Vakshaa was closer to the Outer Rim than Naboo—a small, forest planet with sweeping landscapes and an agricultural lifestyle. “Do you miss it?” he asked sincerely. 

She looked out over the city and all its glittering lights, the vastness of which would always fascinate her. 

“Sometimes,” she admitted. “I was happy there. I ran a cantina. No worries,” she said, looking back at him with a rueful smile on her face. 

“And are you happy now?” 

She paused. Well, her life certainly had taken a different path than she’d planned, but did that mean she couldn’t be happy?

“You just said I looked happier,” she countered, hoping that would deflect his question. She wasn’t sure how she truly felt yet.

“But…really. How are you, Anna?” 

“I….well….this life certainly isn’t what I expected. But it’s not a bad one, and I can’t complain. The Resistance has been good to me. And…I’m here with you. So right now, at this very moment, I’m happy.” 

Hewlett smiled. 

“I’m glad. Very glad,” he said quietly. 

The rest of the evening passed spectacularly. Anna was a bit crestfallen when they were the only two people left in the lounge and had to be asked to leave, but at least that meant their date went well. Well, more than well. It had gone splendidly, and Anna couldn’t have asked for a better evening.

\- - - - - - - - - - - 

Anna undid her hair and took off all her makeup, putting her hair back in a neat braid, the way she felt comfortable. Hewlett had been a perfect gentleman, kissed her, dropped her off at her door, and told her he looked forward to their next time. 

Truth be told, she did too. She really liked Hewlett. She never thought that breaking a Resistance pilot out of prison would land her on a swanky rooftop lounge in Naboo. 

But it did, and for a moment, she was able to relax. When she finally fell asleep, she didn’t have nightmares about tie fighters or Darth Graves. Instead, she had dreams of ivy, lights, and a certain pilot named Hewlett. 

  
  



End file.
